Political activities

Kalms was Treasurer of the Conservative Party from 2001 until 2003. In 2009, there were reports that he could be thrown out of the Conservative party, after he said he was considering lending his vote to UKIP in the European elections.[2]

Views

Criticism of William Hague

Lord Kalms criticised William Hague in 2006 for describing the Israeli military attack on Lebanon as a "disproportionate" response, calling him an "ignorant armchair critic" and arguing that his remarks were "downright dangerous"[6].

There was only one 'interest' that European Jews needed to pursue in Europe, he [Kalms] said: Islam and Islamic fundamentalism. What JPR should be doing is fighting Islam, showing complete support for the two people who had stood up to Islam - Tony Blair and George Bush. Most Muslims didn't want to integrate, he said. Ultimately they would line up behind the fundamentalists. After making disparaging remarks about Islam he asserted that the problem was what Muslims were doing in their schools, in their madrassas and in their mosques cannot be controlled.

Lerman wrote that he found it 'deeply disturbing that some in high political circles' would believe that Kalms' views were 'representative of Jewish views generally'.[7]